Company News

How to Optimize Your Resume for Job Boards

No matter what field you’re in, the challenge to get one’s resume noticed online is a fierce one. The Internet has made the act of applying for jobs pretty painless but the convenience and accessibility of online apps has created a more competitive arena. With the mass number of resumes flooding in to websites, it’s incredibly easy to get lost in the mix (every week, 427,000 resumes are posted on Monster alone). So it is more important than ever to consciously construct your resume in a way that will make it stand out.

The best way to do this is to incorporate popular terms that employers and recruiters often use in their searches within the content of your resume. Including a few carefully chosen keywords can be the difference between your resume getting you an interview and it disappearing into the abyss of other hopefuls, dying in vain, and never coming across a recruiter’s computer screen. Using keywords on your resume will enable search engines to pull it out of the crowd. Next time you tweak your resume, consider how recruiters and employers actually look for qualified candidates. Like so:

Work History: Examine your past roles then scroll through some job boards to see how employers are listing openings similar to what you have done in the past; it is most effective to use terms companies are using in their ads because they are the words recruiters and employers are most likely to search. When in doubt about what job title to use, utilize a slash to include more than one (Senior Administrative Assistant / Executive Assistant). If you have worked for any well-respected or well-known companies, include the names of those past employers.

Skills: In order to get your resume in front of the most people, do some research on what skills employers are listing in their posts. From the list of common skills you find, choose a couple of the most significant and applicable to use on your resume. And always remember: list the skills most in demand for the job you want next.

Location: Employers will often search for candidates based on the location of the job for a number of reasons. While doing this, recruiters could type in a number of city and state combinations to pull up candidates. For example, a recruiter could look up resumes by typing in “Indianapolis” one day, then search a specific zip code the next- be sure to include as many variations of your location as possible in order to be pulled into their searches.

4 thoughts on “How to Optimize Your Resume for Job Boards”

Great article!
I have been looking for the same as i am fresher job seeker and looking for my dream job. So these resume writing tips will be helpful for me to craft a perfect resume that will led me to get a right job. Thanks a lot for sharing this valuable article!

A good resume is the first gateway to a rewarding career. This blog has enumerated some significant points to optimize a resume online. Job seekers are sure to benefit from blogs like these. Thank you for sharing such insightful and helpful blog. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to more such informative blogs.

I agree that work history is important when writing a resume. It would be smart to find out about their qualifications and experience as well. My husband and I are looking for a resume writing service, so we’ll have to consider our work histories first.